National virologists recently confirmed that an active ingredient in green tea can significantly reduce the infectivity of type I HIV at high concentrations. Researchers have provided an explanation for the antiviral mechanism of this active ingredient.
According to a German media report on May 18, researchers at Ulm University Hospital in Germany discovered a large number of small fibers called amyloid fibers in male semen two years ago, which can capture HIV. And help it to enter the body cells, thereby greatly accelerating the rate of normal cells infected with HIV.
Virologists at the Heinrich Pater Institute of Experimental Virology and Immunology in Germany recently tested the effect of EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), an active ingredient rich in green tea. Through electron microscope observation, they found that this ingredient can not only prevent the formation of semen amyloid fibers that help HIV transmission, but also decompose these small fibers within a few hours, thereby significantly reducing the type I HIV infection of normal human cells. risk.
However, German researchers pointed out that this does not mean that drinking a lot of tea can prevent AIDS, because the above research shows that only when the concentration of EGCG is high and contact with semen can it have the effect of inhibiting the spread of HIV. The researchers infer from this that if the vaginal ointment that can kill microorganisms contains high concentrations of EGCG, it may help prevent HIV infection caused by sexual behavior.
Research now shows that there are two types of HIV. Type I HIV is highly contagious and has now spread to all parts of the world. Type II HIV is currently mainly spread in West Africa, and its infectivity is weak, and the development of symptoms is relatively slow